Listen
Listen had its World Premier at The Miami Valley Upper School Night of Student-Written, Student-Directed One-Acts. The Cast was:
Mrs. Downey - Alexis Krivian
Joan - Cheryl Hall
Adam - Doug Ross
Mr. Hood - Matt Camm
Mrs. Strict - Daria Ovide (as an understudy for Jennifier Kline)
Principal - Nicholas Barnard
A Student - Matt James
Characters:
Mrs. Downey
Joan
Adam
Mr. Hood
Mrs. Strict
Principal
Students/Teachers
Scene 1
Mrs. Downey: (Walks out in front of curtain and moves stage right to microphone.) (Should be a friendly chat.) You know no one ever really listens. It took me 50 years of life and 30 years of teaching to realize that. 30 years watching lives, some growing, fulfilling their potential, some on a straight narrow unchangeable path, and far too many going downhill with no good reason. In my life I've affected thousands of young people. I don't remember most of those lives. But the ones that stick out in my mind always seem to be tragic, the ones I could help, and didn't for some reason, and the ones I really tried to save but no one, no one including me was listening to anyone.
Scene 2
(Joan at desk, Adam walks by)
Joan: (As Adam is walking by) Adam! Adam!
Adam: (Spins around) What do you need Joan?
Joan: Its this darn Algebra II problem. I don't get it.
Adam: (Sarcastically) Ahh, that horrid subject, Algebra. Sorry you begged for the Honors Class? (Pauses, then snickers) What do you need?
Joan: Its number ten. I don't get it. It's Mr. Anderson, I don't get anything he says.
Adam: Yeah, he really seems to work backwards, starting with the detailed pieces then building up, messing everyone up on the real concept. Now, number ten. (Mumbling) Using the following points, (This should be a reading faster than you can speak blah) blah, blah, blah, find the equation. Ok- So what you want to do is set up these equations (writing) and then you need to -
Joan: (Enlightened) Ahh!!! I get it. So all you have to do is solve these.
Adam: Right. So do you get this now, Joan?
Joan: Yep. All I needed was that one little bit of help.
Adam: Good, Glad you get it, now. Now onto some college applications.
Joan: To where?
Adam: I know I can get into all the good schools, like Harvard, Yale, Northwestern, so that's where I'm applying.
Joan: Well good luck.
Adam: Thanks.
Scene 3 - Rewrite!
Scene 4
(Classroom, Joan, Mrs. Strict, Adam and other students)
(Adam is not paying attention.)
Mrs. Strict: (Monotone, with a cheap English accent.)
(Note: This is taken from Act 4, Scene 5 app. line 55, of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet)
O woe, o woeful, woeful, woeful day,
Most lamentable day, most woeful day
That ever, ever I did yet Behold!
O day, o day, o day, o hateful day,
Never was seen so black a day as this.
O woeful day, o woeful day!
Adam: (Under breath) She has no idea on how to read this.
Mrs. Strict: (Mocking Adam) What was you incredibly insightful comment Adam?
Adam: (Loudly boasting) You have clue on how to read Shakespeare, Dear!
Mrs. Strict: (Gives Adam a look that says you arrogant little brat I'm the teacher I know what I'm doing.) I know how to act I've played Juliet at Cambridge.
Adam: Oh the girls school in New Jersey?
Mrs. Strict: True, But If you such a thespian why don't you try.
Adam: (Holding book in hand, walking onto top of table, performing the lines very dramatically.)
O woe, o woeful, woeful, woeful day,
Most lamentable day, most woeful day
That ever, ever I did yet Behold!
O day, o day, o day, o hateful day,
Never was seen so black a day as this.
O woeful day, o woeful day!
(Mrs. Strict gives Adam a look that says stop, but Adam keeps on going.)
Despised, distressed, hated, martyred, killed!
Uncomfortable time, why cam'st thou now
To murder, murder, our solemnity?
O child, o child, my soul and not my child,
Dead art thou, alack my child is dead,
And with my child my joys are buried.
Mrs. Strict: Adam, please go to the principal, you're disrupting class.
Adam: (Whiny) What?!? I was just putting some emotion into the part.
Mrs. Strict: Adam, Go!!!
Adam: (Annoyed, he picks up his books and storms out of the room. Slamming the door on his way out.)
Scene 5
(Teacher's meeting Mrs. Downey, Mrs. Strict and others are present.)
Principal: Now that we've decided to do next year about the amount of waste on the floor. We can move on to general discussion.
Mrs. Downey: I'm worried about Adam Gabler, I think he's preparing himself for a disaster, he's indicated on the forms I gave him that he wants to be a biochemist and he's applied to some of the best schools, but a quick glance at his grades will tell you what the letters from those colleges will say, he's got mostly F with 4 or 5 effort marks, except for the 1 effort mark he has in Chemistry.
Mr. Hood: There is a reason for that.
Mrs. Downey: And that would be?
Mr. Hood: Well, he almost leads the class discussion, and I've never been home early because of our discussions, we once got into a really interesting argument about um what was it, the interlinking of time and speed. He had some very interesting ideas.
Mrs. Downey: But he is still failing your class.
Mr. Hood: I know, and he knows. Its not that he just doesn't know the material, he is just insulted, I write tests so most people will pass, but he's still insulted.
Mrs. Downey: Well I'll talk to him.
Principal: Now any other topics?
(Light Fade)
Scene 6
(Mrs. Downey waiting for Adam)
Adam: What would you like to talk to me about Mrs. Downey?
Mrs. Downey: Well Adam - Its about these college applications.
Adam: What about them?
Mrs. Downey: Well it's these colleges. I mean - well do you really think you goals need to be this high? It's like NASA aiming to get to Alpha Centauri before they get to the moon. You have to set you goals at an obtainable level.
Adam: I really don't think anything is wrong with these choices.
Mrs. Downey: Adam - Have you considered a community college?
Adam: Why should I?
Mrs. Downey: I really, really think -
Adam: (Cutting Mrs. Downey off) Think what? You don't want to see me succeed? Unfortunately, I don't have time for this, I was in the middle of a very interesting conversation with Mr. Hood. (Leaves)
Mrs. Downey: I sure wish he'd consider what I said.
Scene 7
(Adam with mail in hands walks in.)
Adam: (Reading from mail) Adam you have one million bucks waiting for you, of course they don't tell you the odds. (Tosses) Hmm- Nope (Tosses) Ahh. Mail from Harvard, Yale and Northwestern. What are the odds of that? (Thinks a moment) 20,000 to one. Which one should I open first? Harvard, Yale or Northwestern.. Oh. and here is a piece of mail from that community college. (Throws in Trash) Well, well I'll start with Harvard (Opens) I didn't get in - Wait this thing is a form letter. (Impatiently opens letter from Yale) Another form letter. Northwestern. (Opens, crazily) Not even Northwestern? (Madly dashes toward trash - sifting through food waste to find letter, finds it and
opens it, it's is a rejection letter. He breaks out in tears. Starts kicking and throwing stuff, he eyes a gun. He picks up the gun eyes it, looks up in thought, casually toting the gun he walks towards the door
and exits.) (A Shot is heard)
Scene 8
(Walks out in front of curtain and moves stage right to microphone.)
Mrs. Downey: No one listened.
Nicholas Barnard